


Willow

by SneetchesToo



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: 2x08 coda, F/M, Gen, I hate tags, M/M, have your tissues ready, lots of Carlos angst., no beta we die like bank robber guy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-26 09:55:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30104166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SneetchesToo/pseuds/SneetchesToo
Summary: The funny thing about tragedy is that it changes people, sometimes for the better, sometimes for worse; the scary thing about tragedy though, is that you never know which one is going to happen to you.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes & Grace Ryder (9-1-1 Lone Star), Carlos Reyes & Judd Ryder (9-1-1 Lone Star), Carlos Reyes & Owen Strand, Carlos Reyes & TK Strand, Carlos Reyes & Tommy Vega, Grace Ryder/Judd Ryder (9-1-1 Lone Star), Michelle Blake & Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lone Star), Michelle Blake/Owen Strand
Comments: 23
Kudos: 37





	1. the Accident

**Author's Note:**

> *This is a follow-up to Awake, so it’s a 2x08 coda. You don’t have to read that story first, but this does take place hours after that one ends.  
> **This is also told from Carlos’ perspective and is mostly about him, but it does feature everyone from the 126.

Carlos had finally gotten TK settled in bed, the man dozing off as soon as his doctor had given him the okay, and he was getting ready to try and get some sleep himself when his phone rang.

He sighed, wondering who in the world would be calling him at almost one in the morning, but when he picked up the phone he didn’t recognize the number at all.

He contemplated ignoring it, figuring that if it was important they would just leave a message.

But something inside him told him to answer, so that’s what he did.

“Hello?” He waited for the voice on the other line and for some reason he found himself holding his breath.

“Hello, hi, is this Carlos Reyes?” The voice sounded nervous and almost uncertain and he didn’t know why, but it made his heart skip a beat.

“Yes it is.” He wasn’t sure why he found himself standing, but something was making the need to pace very necessary right now.

“Mr. Reyes, sir, this is Cathy, I’m a nurse at St. David’s Medical Center.” He wasn’t sure why a nurse was calling from him the very hospital that he was currently standing in.

“Okay. Is something wrong?” The confusion was starting to make him frustrated, or maybe that was the lack of sleep and headache.

“I’m calling from the emergency room, in regards to two people who have you listed as their emergency contact.” Now he was really unsure about this whole thing and he bit his lip as he racked his bran trying to figure out who would use him as their emergency contact.

Immediately his mind went to his parents and he held his breath.

Please dear God don’t tell him something had happened to his parents.

Not now, not after things were finally good again.

“Who, who is it?” His heart was pounding so hard in his chest that he was almost certain TK was going to wake up from the sound of it.

“A Judd and Grace Ryder.” Oh for fuck’s sake, not them, anyone but them.

“What happened? Where are they?” He found himself throwing the door open and tearing down the hallway, nurses giving him weird looks as he hit the button for the elevator more times than necessary. “Are they okay? Please tell me they’re okay?”

He needed them to be alright, he couldn’t imagine anything happening to them.

“They were in an accident, that’s all I’m allowed to say over the phone.” He got that, he really did, but that wasn’t helping his heartache right now. “If you could come down to the hospital…”

“I’m already here.” He dashed into the elevator quickly, almost taking out a doctor as he slammed the button for the first floor once then twice then three times.

“Sir…” He hung up the phone as the doors shut and rode the elevator down five floors in silence, the tears burning at his eyes and wetting his cheeks.

Not Judd and Grace.

Not them.

Anyone but them.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened and he found himself face to face with the emergency room at St. David’s for the second time in twelve hours.

He sighed, this was just not his day was it?

Making his way through the crowd of people he headed toward the main nurse’s station, waving at a pretty young blond who’s name was coincidently, Cathy.

“I’m looking for Cathy.” He gestured at her name tag and she smiled. “I’m Carlos Reyes, I’m here about the Ryder’s.”

“Yes, of course, Mr. Reyes.” She set down her clipboard and grabbed another, making her way around the desk until she was standing before him. “Come with me.”

He didn’t speak, just nodded his head as he followed her back through the double doors.

But she didn’t take him to a room with a patient in it, hell, she didn’t take him to a room with any people in it.

Instead it was just a bunch of empty chairs and the two of them.

Suddenly he felt the air leave his lungs.

He knew what these rooms were used for, he wasn’t stupid.

“No…” He shook his head as she shut the door behind them. “No.”

“Mr. Reyes,” She reached out and gripped his shoulder, helping lower him into the chair as she offered him a soft smile, “it’s okay.”

“It can’t be okay.” He didn’t understand how she could be so calm right now. “I know what these rooms are. I know what they’re used for.”

“It’s not like that, I promise.” She sat down across from him and offered him a bottle of water that he never saw her grab. “Take a few deep breaths. I promise you, I don’t have that kind of news.”

He did as she suggested and inhaled and exhaled deeply a few times before taking a swig of his water.

And then he closed his eyes and counted to ten and sent a prayer to whoever was upstairs because he needed one of Grace’s miracles right about now.

“Mr. Reyes, I just wanted a quiet place for us to talk, that’s all.” He snapped his eyes open and stared back at her.

She seemed nice enough, and she didn’t seem like she was lying, so he let the breath that he had been holding go.

“Sorry.” He whispered, taking another sip of water as he let out another breath. “My boyfriend is upstairs after having been hit over the head by an armed robber. I’m just a little jittery is all.”

“I was going to ask how you managed to get here so quickly.” She offered him another smile and he nodded. “I hope your boyfriend is going to be okay.”

“He’s fine.” Thank goodness for his hard head.

“Good to know.” He didn’t want pleasantries though, he just wanted to know what was going on with his friends.

“What happened to Judd and Grace? Are they okay?” He just wanted to get to them, that’s all he wanted. “Where are they? I need to see them.”

Judd and Grace had been there for him when things had gotten bad.

When he had stopped talking to his parents.

When he and Iris had started to drift apart.

They had let him crash in their guest bedroom when his boyfriend of five years had kicked him out.

They had fed him and helped him study for his classes at the academy.

Judd had taught him all he had never needed to know about cooking a brisket and Grace had taught him everything he had wanted to know about making a caramel cake.

They weren’t just his best-friends, they were his family.

“They were in an accident.” Yeah, he knew that part, but that wasn’t enough. “I don’t know the specifics of that, that’s for the police to report.”

“I am the police.” He wanted to kick and scream and throw things.

Maybe if he had agreed to let Owen stay with TK tonight he would have actually been able to take the call and be there for them himself.

“Look, Carlos, can I call you Carlos?” He nodded his head because words were escaping him. “I just know that there was an accident, a car accident. Okay? And they were both brought here by ambulance.”

“Are they okay?” Dear God he just wanted the woman to tell him whether or not they were going to make it. “I just need to know that they’re okay.”

“Mr. Ryder has a broken arm, a concussion, and lost quite a bit of blood from a laceration in his leg.” Leave it to Judd to injure a body part in every region. “They’ve put him in a cast and he is being monitored for the concussion. He has a lot of stitches in his right leg, and they’ve started him on a blood transfusion.”

“Is he conscious?” Because dear God did he have some things he needed to say to the man.

“He is.” She didn’t sound convincing though. “He’s confused, disoriented, but he’s awake.”

“Confused?” He had had enough drama with head injuries to last him the rest of his life.

“He’s a little uncertain about things, but that’s normal, given what he’s been through.” He really couldn’t handle it if Judd had some sort of amnesia.

“What about Grace?” Dear God, if something happened to Grace, he wouldn’t know what to do with himself.

“She’s unconscious.” Oh great, just fucking great. “She’s currently in surgery.”

“Surgery?” That was never good following any kind of accident.

But he had seen his fair share of car accidents and he knew what the possibilities were.

“It appears as though Mrs. Ryder suffered an abdominal injury.” Carlos felt his stomach sink. “I’m unsure of the details, they rushed her to the OR as soon as she arrived. I know it’ll be about another or hour or so before she’s out.”

“Can I see Judd?” He felt his hands starting to shake uncontrollably and all he wanted to do was run.

“Of course.” She stood and opened the door, gesturing for him to step into the hallway with her. “Do either of them have any family we can call? Or is there anyone we can call for you?”

He hadn’t even stopped to think about Judd’s dad or Grace’s parents.

And then it hit him, it was Thursday.

Thursday was when Judd and Grace normally went to Stuart’s house for dinner.

“Oh God, Stuart.” He must be worried sick, wondering where his son and daughter-in-law were all this time. “I… I gotta call Stuart.”

“We can call him for you.” He shook his head back and forth.

“No. No I should do it.” Stuart had been more than welcome to Carlos when he had first started coming around and he couldn’t imagine anyone else breaking the news to the man that the pair was now in the hospital.

Except for Michelle.

“Oh God, Michelle.” He felt tears spring to his eyes as he thought about the woman.

She wasn’t going to handle this well at all.

“Carlos, honey, breathe.” And then he felt himself starting to fall, Cathy’s hand reaching out to grab his arm, lowering him into a nearby chair as he felt the world closing in on him. “Let us help. Who can we call?”

He couldn’t make sense of her words right now, no, his mind was only focused on all the people who were going to get a heartbreaking phone call from him tonight.

“I… I need to call Owen.” He didn’t know why his mind instantly focused on the captain of the 126, but that’s where it went. “I… my phone.”

He pulled his phone out, his hands shaking as he unlocked it and found Owen’s name, pressing the call button and bringing the device to his ear.

He knew if there was anyone who could be strong through this it was him.

“Carlos?” Owen’s voice was groggy and full of sleep and Carlos sighed. “Is TK okay?”

“He’s… he’s fine.” He knew he didn’t sound convincing but he couldn’t help it. “It’s… I just…”

“Carlos, what’s wrong son?” His breath hitched in his throat as a sob escaped his lips and he was suddenly very thankful for Cathy’s hand on his.

“It’s Judd and Grace.” The words left a horrible taste in his mouth. “There was an accident…”

“Where are you?” He could practically hear Owen rushing around his room.

“St. David’s.” He was partially glad that he had never left, but at the same time, he just wanted to go home. “In the ER.”

“I’ll be there in ten.” The line went dead then and Carlos took a deep breath.

It didn’t escape him that it should take longer than ten minutes to get to the hospital from Owen’s house, but he wasn’t about to question him breaking the law to get there quicker.

Judd and Grace were his family too.

“Now who do you need to call?” Cathy’s soft voice broke him from his thoughts and he closed his eyes briefly, opening them back up and lifting his head, focusing on the small heart pin attached to the woman’s lanyard.

“Their parents.” He whispered.

“We can do that. Let me do that.” She squeezed his hand before handing him the clipboard she had been clutching, a pen magically appearing in front of him. “Just write down their information and I will make the calls. Trust me, it’s easier.”

He nodded his head before writing down Stuart’s name and number, and then doing the same with Benjamin’s.

He knew that it would be unlikely that either man would be awake at this hour, but hopefully they’d get through to them soon.

“Now, why don’t you let me take you to Mr. Ryder’s room?” She stood and pulled him up with her, patting his shoulder as she continued leading the way down the hall.

They stopped outside a small room, the curtain pulled across the door opening in order to give the man some privacy.

He sighed as he reached up and ran a hand through his hair.

“What’s the name of your friend that’s coming here?” He sighed as he blinked a few times at her question.

“Oh… um… Owen, Owen Strand.” All he wanted was for the man to get here and make some sense of this chaos.

Chaos was Owen Strand’s specialty.

“I’ll be on the lookout for him.” She patted his arm and offered him a smile that was probably supposed to be reassuring. “You go see your friend.”

“Thank you.” He whispered softly, watching as she nodded her head before heading back toward the ER waiting room.

And then he took a deep breath and reached out, pulling the curtain back and peering inside.

Judd was laid back against the pillow’s, his eyes half-lidded as he shifted his vision from the TV to his newest visitor.

“Hey Judd.” Carlos offered him a smile and a soft wave before pulling the curtain closed behind him. “How are you feeling?”

The man simply stared back at him, raising an eyebrow and cocking his head to the side as he stared him down.

“Who are you?” He felt his heart stop in his chest and the air he had just restored to his lungs was gone again.

“Judd… it’s me… Carlos.” He hoped that maybe the man was just confused.

“Don’t know no Carlos.” Even when breaking Carlos’ heart he still had that signature Judd-speak about him. “Sorry bro, I think you got the wrong room.”

Carlos shook his head as he took a deep breath.

“Nope, right room.” He whispered, doing his best to hold back his tears in front of this man who was now apparently a stranger. “I um… I guess you just don’t remember me?”

Judd didn’t respond, instead he just shrugged his shoulders as he offered Carlos a confused look.

He didn’t know what he was supposed to do.

Did he stay in the room with the man who didn’t know who he was?

He didn’t want to make him uncomfortable.

“I’m um…” And then he found himself bolting out of the small space, not even bothering to pull the curtain closed again.

He had barely made it outside into the cold night air before the sob escaped his lips and his legs gave out from under him, his body thankful for the bench that seemed to magically appear beside him.

And there he sat, his mind and heart unable to handle what had just happened over the course of the last few hours.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Mentions to Carlos’ rocky relationship with his parents.

On the bench outside the hospital is where Owen found him exactly nine minutes and thirty seven seconds later.

He expected to snap his head up and find the man standing before him, alone, possibly a little confused and maybe a little worried.

But what he didn’t expect to find was Owen Strand standing before him with none other than Michelle Blake at his side.

It was obvious that they had arrived together, and Carlos hoped they knew that that he didn’t miss the way they quickly dropped hands, Owen clearing his throat as they stepped toward him some more.

Hadn’t the man just put his ex-wife on a plane back to New York?

His ex-wife who, up until three days ago, he had thought he was having a baby with?

Trying to put the pieces together was making his headache worse than it already was, so instead he let out a sigh as he pushed himself to stand, running his hands through his hair.

“How are they?” Michelle spoke first, her voice skipping a little as she reached out for him.

He accepted the hug, thankful to finally be with someone who knew him, someone who could actually offer him some comfort.

“Judd’s conscious. Grace is in surgery.” He didn’t miss the pained look that quickly flashed across Owen’s face as Michelle sighed, hugging him even tighter.

“Have you seen either one of them?” Michelle stepped back as Owen spoke, his arms reaching out to pull Carlos into a hug.

It wasn’t that it was unwelcome, but it was definitely a surprise.

“I um…” He shook his head as he pulled back from the older man’s arms, his voice catching in his throat as he tried to process what had happened just ten short minutes ago. “I saw Judd, but he… he um… he didn’t know who I was.”

The gasp that left Michelle was echoed in his heart when he realized what that could mean.

“Oh Carlos.” She reached out and wrapped him up in another hug, holding him close as she ran her fingers through his hair.

She always knew how to comfort him, and other than TK, she was the only person who knew how well that tricked work.

“Have you talked to his doctor?” He shook his head against Michelle’s shoulder and he hoped that Owen saw his response to his question. “Let me see if I can find out anything.”

And then he was vanishing inside in a very Owen Strand fashion and he swallowed, if there was anyone who could get answers, it was him.

Michelle pulled back then, offering him a soft smile as she reached up and wiped the tears from his cheek.

“Has anyone called their parents?” He felt like a coward for not being able to say that he had done it himself, but he knew he couldn’t lie to her.

“Cathy… she’s a nurse… she was going to do it for me.” He hung his head in shame but she quickly pushed his chin upward and smiled.

“Good. What about Tommy?” Oh shit, he had completely forgotten about Tommy. “You forgot didn’t you?”

“I… I didn’t even think…” She was the Ryder’s oldest friend, besides maybe Michelle, and he couldn’t believe that he had forgotten to call her.

“It’s okay Carlos, I’ll call her.” He closed his eyes as he let his head fall to her shoulder, a sob escaping his throat as he wrapped his arms around her waist once more. “Shhh Los, it’s okay.”

She pressed a kiss to his head before wrapping him back up, holding him tightly as she shushed him softly, her fingers dragging through his hair slowly.

“I can’t lose them Chelle.” He had never really lost a family member before, not like this, not a family member that he loved and cared about and had known for 12 years of his life. “I… TK earlier… I just…”

“I know honey, I know.” He would never get over a loss like this, and he knew that she wouldn’t either. “They’re gonna be okay. You know them, they’re the strongest people we know.”

He nodded his head softly as he sniffled, clinging to his best-friend like his life depended on it.

A few minutes had passed before he heard familiar footsteps approaching them, and then he heard Owen’s voice speaking softly.

“I talked to Judd’s doctor…” Carlos found himself pulling away from Michelle with a force that almost knocked her over.

“What did he say?” He felt like his heart was going to leap out of his chest.

“Well, first of all, he was shocked to see me, again.” Carlos raised an eyebrow at the man’s words, again? “Apparently twice in twelve hours is a record.”

And then it hit Carlos, he must have been the same doctor that had taken care of TK when he was admitted earlier.

“He also said that amnesia is normal with a head injury like Judd’s.” Normal didn’t mean that it was okay or that he had to like it. “There was some slight swelling under his skull, not enough to be worrisome, yet, but he’s not concerned about the amnesia.”

“Not concerned about the amnesia?!” Michelle was normally the picture of calm and cool and hell, who was Carlos kidding, she was actually the one who always overreacted. “Who the hell isn’t concerned about amnesia in a patient?!”

But that didn’t change the fact that even he was shocked by her reaction.

“Look, I’m just telling you what he said.” Owen held his hands up defensively and Carlos watched as Michelle scowled at him before taking a step back and huffing. “He said he’d be more than happy to talk to Judd’s family about it. I’m just the messenger.”

Owen reached for her and she stepped toward him, letting her head fall to his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her.

Carlos didn’t miss the way Owen’s lips brushed over her ear.

Or the way she squeezed his hand and nodded her head at whatever he had just whispered into her ear.

He sighed as he walked past them and into the hospital, his eyes catching sight of Cathy sitting at the nurse’s station.

She offered him a soft smile as she waved him over, and he took a deep breath, he didn’t know if he was ready for this.

“I was able to get in touch with Stuart Ryder.” She said carefully, handing him a piece of paper and a pen. “He said he’ll make sure to get a ride to the hospital in the morning, but his night nurse apparently doesn’t have a car…”

“Yeah, no, she takes an Uber.” Carlos had remembered Judd saying something about the night nurse being one of the nicest young women he’d ever met, but that she didn’t drive yet so she was always relying on an Uber to get to the house. “I’ll um, I’ll pick him up. It’s no problem.”

He saw Owen and Michelle appear at his side and he took another deep breath, willing away his anxiety about whatever it was that they were doing and trying to focus on taking care of things.

“What about Benjamin? Did anyone talk to him?” Cathy shook her head softly and Carlos closed his eyes.

He really, really didn’t want to make that phone call.

“I left a voicemail, but he didn’t answer at either number.” That honestly didn’t shock him though, it’s not like Ben was out at all hours of the night, or if he was, he wasn’t in a position to be answering his phone. “Is Mrs. Ryder’s mother still alive?”

“Denice, yeah, I um…” He grabbed his phone and searched frantically, but he came up with nothing. “I guess I don’t have any contact information for her.”

Michelle was pulling her phone from her pocket before he could finish that sentence, and suddenly Denice Williams’ name was appearing in front of him.

“I can call her if you’d like, I don’t mind.” He was going to make sure to send Cathy a very wonderful fruit basket and a big bottle of wine when this was all over.

“That would be great, thank you.” Michelle scribbled down the name and number before handing it back to the girl on the other side of the desk and then she was tugging on Carlos’ hand. “Let’s go see Judd.”

He simply nodded his head as he smiled at Cathy and mouthed ‘thank you’ to her, leading the way blindly toward Judd’s room.

When they stopped outside he felt like his feet were glued to the ground.

He didn’t want to go back in there and face the man again.

He didn’t know who he was, which meant there was a very real possibility that he wouldn’t know who Michelle was.

And there was noway in hell he was going to remember Owen.

So why did they need to torture themselves?

“I… I can’t go in there.” He whispered softly, his eyes closing as he felt the air leave his lungs. “He doesn’t know who I am. I can’t just…”

“Carlos…” Michelle squeezed his hand softly and he willed himself to open his eyes again. “I‘ll go in then. If he remembers me than at least we have a timeframe to work with.”

She had a good point, a painful one, but a good one.

But instead of speaking he just shrugged his shoulders, his legs remaining planted in their spot as she moved toward the curtain, pulling it open and stepping inside slowly.

He watched out of the corner of his eye as Owen contemplated going after her, but like him, he must have guessed that it wasn’t worth the awkwardness.

So instead, they both stood in the empty hallway, awkward and silent, their feet both shuffling against the floor as they tried to figure out what to do now.

Carlos let out a sigh as he moved to sit in the chair behind him.

He wanted to say something to the other man about whatever was going on between him and Michelle, but he couldn’t make himself speak, so instead he just dropped his head to his hands.

“I’m not gonna pretend like things aren’t weird.” Oh but he was really, really hoping that he would. “But this isn’t the time or the place to make it into something, so…”

“I’ll act like I never saw a thing.” He whispered as he lifted his head, catching Owen’s nod as the older man dropped into the chair beside him. “Just know…”

“If I hurt her, you kill me?” It was funny how he took the words right out of his mouth. “I know. Don’t worry.”

“She’s my best-friend.” His best-friend who he had missed dearly because now that they didn’t see each other in the field it felt like they never saw each other at all.

“I know.” Owen probably knew that better than anyone actually, he had been witness to it enough times to realize how important she was to him. “What I didn’t know, was how close you were to Judd and Grace.”

It wasn’t like he hid it on purpose.

Hell, he wasn’t even trying to hide anything.

It just kind of worked out that way sometimes.

“I came out to my parents when I was seventeen.” He didn’t know why he felt the need to tell Owen this story right now, but here he was, letting it all out. “They weren’t… unaccepting, but they weren’t thrilled either. It made things really awkward.”

“I’m so sorry Carlos.” He knew that Owen and Gwyn had had the opposite reaction to TK coming out, so he could imagine that it was probably hard for him to hear that Carlos had gone through something unpleasant.

“We just, never talked about it.” He shrugged as he wiped at his eyes, the tears running down his face stinging his cheeks. “Anyway, I met Grace like two weeks later through a friend and we kind of hit it off. She was so nice and encouraging. And then she introduced me to her boyfriend and I about fell over.”

“Judd not who you were expecting?” It wasn’t like it was a secret that everyone did a double take when the couple walked down the street.

“Judd was Michelle’s best-friend.” Owen chuckled at the connection and Carlos couldn’t help but smile. “I’d known him for a few years, we weren’t close or anything, but I was shocked to see loud and rowdy beer drinking Judd with sweet as pie Miss Grace.”

“I can imagine.” Carlos let the memory of that introduction wash over him and bring him some relief.

“Anyway, they kinda took me under their wing. They let me hangout with them so I didn’t have to be at home. Judd’s dad took to me, not really sure why, but he loved to talk history with me, something none of the Ryder boys ever showed much interest in I guess.” He had liked Stuart from the start and he had remembered how only a few years prior Judd had lost his mom and things had been real bad for him, he was glad that he had his dad to help him through that. “I started dating my only serious boyfriend, before TK of course, when I was 16. I thought he was the one, thought things were going somewhere…”

“I take it they didn’t?” Owen was no stranger to bad breakups, both for himself or his son, of that much Carlos realized.

“We lived together. And after five years, on our anniversary of all days, he kicked me out.” Carlos found himself rolling his eyes at the memory of coming home to find all his stuff on the sidewalk and the locks changed. “Don’t know why, I didn’t really care to ask, but I had nowhere to go. My parents didn’t want me moving back in, Michelle was not in any position for a roommate, so I was suddenly 21 and homeless.”

“Carlos…” The hand that reached out and gripped his was shocking, but then again, maybe he just didn’t know Owen Strand as well as he thought he did. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. Judd and Grace took me in. They didn’t even hesitate.” He hadn’t even had to ask actually, they had just pulled up and seen his stuff and that was it. “I lived with them for almost two years. They’ve become family.”

He felt another sob coming on and he leaned back in the chair as he stomped his foot on the ground.

What he wouldn’t give for TK to be here right now.

“Oh God, TK…” Like Tommy, he had completely forgotten about breaking the news to the younger man. “He’s gonna be crushed.”

He knew that Judd and TK had started off on a rocky foot, but now, now they were like brothers, and this was going to be devastating for him.

“I’ll talk to him the morning.” Owen looked down at his watch and sighed. “He needs the sleep. And so do you.”

Carlos shook his head back and forth.

“I can’t sleep until Grace is out of surgery and I know she’s okay.” He couldn’t leave her, not now, not when her own husband might not even remember her.

“I’m gonna go ask some more questions, see what I can find out.” Owen patted his shoulder as he stood, nodding in Michelle’s direction as she exited the small room. “I’ll be back.”

She nodded back at him and offered him a smile before pulling the curtain too and moving toward Carlos.

He wanted to ask her about Judd, to know what she knew, but before he could say anything her phone was ringing.

“It’s Tommy.” She held the device up and he sighed, his breath hitching in his voice as he simply nodded his head in return.

He couldn’t make words form and he suddenly felt like he was drowning.

Everything around him became hard to hear and he closed his eyes as he slapped his hands over his head.

He couldn’t believe this was happening.


End file.
